Hakota
by almostsophie
Summary: There was another survivor of the Endar Spire- one who would change Revan's journey in a way the galaxy did not expect. Hakota changes Revan, and the typical story we all know, in the process. Please leave constructive criticism and pointers/advice. :)
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Footsteps were drawing closer, and I pressed my back against the crate. My leg was still bleeding. I felt light-headed, and there were bright spots in my vision that I couldn't blink away.

"The starboard section is almost secured. We can't get to the escape pods- the doors are sealed and we can't override them," one of the Sith Troopers was saying, probably into a comlink.

My eyes darted to a dead republic soldier a few feet away, and his blaster, still in his hand. It would take me a few seconds to get to the blaster, and then I'd have to take out however many Sith Troopers were in the room. It sounded like two or three, but I couldn't be sure.

I took in a deep, shaky breath. I had to get to the escape pods—the Endar Spire wasn't going to last much longer. Maybe before the troopers found me we'd all be sucked into space. Dying in space didn't seem much better than being shot, though. _You're not going to die, _I told myself. I focused on the blaster. I could get to it, even with an injured leg. I'd jump for it in three, two-

The doors opened and the sound of blaster fire followed. It had to be Republic soldiers! I dived for the gun and scrambled to my feet, but the Sith Troopers, it had only been two of them, were sprawled across the floor.

I turned to see a familiar face holding me at gun point. "Jetson," I managed to squeak out.

The scout lowered his blaster quickly. "Hakota? Admiral Onasi said that everyone else was dead."

My hands were shaking as I answered, "Not dead. Almost, though. Until you came." I couldn't think in full sentences.

His eyes moved to my leg. "Will you be able to walk?" He asked.

I nodded. "It's just a graze."

"Come on, we've got to get to the escape pods." Jetson's comlink beeped at him, and he answered. "Admiral, there's another survivor. We're almost there."

"Right. I contacted you because there's a whole squad of troopers between you and me right now. Don't get yourself killed, and hurry." Admiral Onasi's voice was calm over the comlink, but the sense of urgency was still there, loud and clear.

Jetson ended the connection and looked at me. "Ready to blast our way through?"

I felt myself blanch at the idea of more fighting. My eyes found the security terminal in the corner of the room. "I've got a way to get us through in one piece," I answered, my voice wavering. I handed my blaster to Jetson, trying to clear my head. _Focus, Hakota._ I stepped over the body of a republic soldier to get to the terminal, using my own ID to get access and then swiped screen after screen, entering my pass code and overriding the terminal in the next room over. I cringed as the screen showed the video feed as electricity sparked from the terminal and looked away as the lightning tendrils shot out and hit the troopers.

"That should've gotten them." I told Jetson, who had been watching me closely. He offered my blaster back to me and I took it reluctantly.

He gave me a slight smile. "Good work." He opened the doors and I limped into the next room. The terminal was still crackling as we moved around the bodies of our soldiers and the Sith's troopers. The doors to the escape pods were sealed, and Jetson pulled out his comlink. "Admiral Onasi, we're here."

With a hiss, the doors opened just as the ship rumbled with the impact of a blow on the hull. Jetson and I stumbled, and I fell into the door frame, my head hitting the metal with a dull thud. Jetson pulled me to my feet, and Admiral Onasi hurried over to us. With all systems failing, hot steam assaulted us from above.

Everything was sliding in and out of focus, but I heard Admiral Onasi say, "Bastila's escape pod is away. We're the last survivors. There's one escape pod left, and we've got to leave now."

Jetson's arm was wrapped around my waist, but I still struggled to stay upright. "We're almost there, Hakota," he told me over the blare of the emergency alarms.

The world went black just as Jetson pulled me into the escape pod.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

There were people screaming somewhere in the distance. Maybe it wasn't so far away, but everything sounded like I was underwater. _Where am I? _I couldn't remember… My eyes flew open as someone pulled on my arm. I was face to face with Admiral Onasi, and the world crashed back to me with an enormous headache. I tried to sit up, but my limbs felt like rubber.

"We've got to move," Admiral Onasi's voice was sharp.

I forced myself to sit, and found I was in the rubble of the escape pod, a dark sky above me. Smoke was rising from the debris. "Jetson," I croaked.

Admiral Onasi gestured behind him, where the scout was lying crumpled on the ground.

"I heard there were escape pods crashing in the undercity, but I didn't think any would land here!" A woman's shrill voice came from somewhere behind me.

"Call the authorities," a man answered sharply. "If they're from the republic ship, we'll no doubt get a reward."

I managed to crawl over to Jetson and Admiral Onasi. "He's unconscious," Admiral Onasi told me, "can you help me move him?"

"To where?" I asked. I scanned the rooftops of the buildings around us.

"Let's try to make it there," Admiral Onasi looked at the complex to our right. It looked like a basic housing unit for apartments.

I slung one of Jetson's arms around my shoulders and Admiral Onasi did the same. We moved to the side of the wreckage as more people gathered around the crash site. I moved my head so my hair would hide my face. My leg throbbed with every step, and I found I was biting the inside of my cheek to distract myself.

We pushed past more civilians who came rushing to ogle the crash site. We freed ourselves from the crowd. We made it to the doors of the apartment complex before I collapsed, gasping for breath. Admiral Onasi struggled to hold Jetson up.

I struggled to try to make it to my feet again, but promptly fell. I grimaced in pain as I finally looked down at my leg to see my pant leg was completely stained red. "I don't know if I can-"

"Wait here with him." Admiral Onasi stooped down next to me and left Jetson with me. Admiral Onasi handed his blaster to me. "Hopefully the civilians are distracted and don't question you. If they do, you were injured from the debris from the wreckage. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." I answered weakly.

He disappeared into the apartment complex. I leaned over Jetson, pulling his head onto my lap. "Jetson, can you hear me?" I asked. He had a massive burn mark on his arm and a purpling bruise across his forehead. If he hadn't found me on the Endar Spire, I might not have made it off alive. "Please wake up," I whispered.

Another group of people ran past us and I turned my face away, hoping people would keep rushing by without stopping. The housing complex we'd crashed by was run-down and looked to be old as well. I thanked our luck for crashing so close to a housing unit, then wished for a bit more good luck that there would be one abandoned room that Admiral Onasi could find.

I tried to move Jetson and I further into the complex, but I realized with horror I couldn't feel my leg anymore. My breathing picked up. _Calm down. Panicking isn't going to help anything._

Swallowing hard, I inspected the blaster graze on my leg. It seemed to have to stopped bleeding.

Admiral Onasi was back, standing over me. "There's an abandoned apartment not far. If you can't help me with him, that's fine. Can you make it a little bit further?" How his voice was so calm, I didn't understand. He grabbed Jetson's arm and pulled him up, entirely supporting his weight.

I used the wall to help myself up and then leaned against it, panting. "I can make it," I said through gritted teeth. I staggered along the wall, following Admiral Onasi as he pulled Jetson along the halls of the apartment complex.

Just when I thought I was going to drop to the floor, Admiral Onasi pulled Jetson into the open doors of an apartment room. I dragged myself and my useless leg inside the room and Admiral Onasi closed the doors behind us.

On the floor, right next to the doorway, I slide down against the wall to the floor. My head was screaming from when I'd hit it on the Endar Spire, and my numb leg was nothing but a dead weight.

Admiral Onasi staggered to the single bed and let Jetson down.

We sat in silence for a few moments. I rested my head against the wall. "Admiral?" I croaked. "Is Jetson…"

"He'll live," Admiral Onasi answered, his voice wracked with exhaustion. He moved to stand over Jetson, peeling his eyes open and looking at his burn marks. "I think it's just a concussion and some minor burns. In a few hours, I'll go out looking for some med supplies for him. And for you. How's your leg?"

"Can't feel it," I managed to say. A laugh bubbled to my lips before I added, "At least it's not hurting, right?"

Admiral Onasi did not find it amusing, and walked over to me, crouching next to me on the floor. He swore as he pulled the fabric of my pants away to get a better view of my shin. "You're lucky your blood clotted before you could bleed anymore. I might have to go get some supplies now."

"It's too dangerous right now, Admiral." I answered shakily. "I think I'll be fine for a few more hours."

"We're just fortunate to have found this apartment," Admiral Onasi muttered darkly, relaxing his stance to sit down next to me. "The Endar Spire… she exploded just as our escape pod launched."

I swallowed hard. "Taris is under Sith control, right, sir? So the others who took the escape pods… will they be arrested if they're found?"

The Admiral nodded his head in defeat. "Survivors will probably be arrested. And that's hoping that there were any survivors to begin with." He looked at me, taking in my ruined and tattered uniform. "You're a tech, not a soldier?"

"Yes, sir." I replied. I closed my eyes, "I had to beg my family to let me go on the Endar Spire. They wanted me to just work as a technician at the docks, but I applied for the Endar Spire and was accepted. They were worried about me being so far away."

Admiral Onasi didn't answer, and I realized I was babbling. I clamped my jaw shut, trying to ignore the pain in my head. After a few minutes of silence, I was beginning to fall asleep. Admiral Onasi's voice cut through the darkness and pulled me back, "You need to stay awake. You've lost a lot of blood." He paused, probably too tired to talk. "What's your name?"

"Hakota," I mumbled tiredly, forgetting to address him as 'sir'.

"Stay with me, Hakota," Admiral Onasi said. "The soldier over there—his name is Jetson Khar, correct?" I nodded in affirmation. "How do you know him?"

"He's a scout, not really a soldier," I explained, my voice thick with sleep. "He knows a lot about technical work. He liked to spend time with the other techs instead of the soldiers."

Admiral Onasi looked at me, the bags under his brown eyes dark and his face etched with pure exhaustion. "I'm going to move you close to Jetson. I want you to keep an eye on him while I go out to look for supplies."

"It's too dangerous now." I tried to protest as Admiral Onasi helped me to my feet and adjusted my arm around his shoulders. Both of us were tall, so he didn't have to stoop over to lead me over to where Jetson was. I sat down on the edge of the bed with the Admiral's assistance. One look at Jetson's pale face kept me from saying anything further about the Admiral going to get supplies.

"Try to stay awake, Hakota. I'll be back as soon as I can." Admiral Onasi said as he left, the doors sealing behind him.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get my head to stop pounding. Jetson was deathly still when I looked at him again. I pressed my fingers against the side of his neck and felt a slow pulse.

_I should've just listened to my parents and never left Alderaan. I could be safe at home right now instead of barely alive on Taris. When my parents hear about the space battle, they'll probably think their only daughter is dead._

Jetson shifted his weight on the rickety bed. I looked at him, his dark hair hanging in his eyes. "Jetson," I said pleadingly. "You've got to be alright. Everyone else… everyone else is dead." All the other technicians I had met on the Endar Spire, and the soldiers I knew—they were all dead. My eyes burned, but I brushed away tears angrily with the back of my hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

When Admiral Onasi returned, I was slumped over, barely awake. The Admiral injected something into my arm before the world faded to black.

I don't remember any of my dreams, but I think I saw the faces of my parents swim beneath my eyelids in my sleep. When I woke up, the room was brighter. It only took me a moment to orient myself, remembering where I was and who I was with.

Sitting up slowly, I tried to move my leg. I winced as a dull pain shot through my shin, but I sighed in relief when I realized I had feeling back. I was in a chair, completely cocooned in a pile of tattered, rough blankets. I looked around the room; it was brighter now, sunlight pouring through the window above a workbench and dancing across the floor.

Admiral Onasi was leaning against the bed, his chin resting on his chest. I squirmed to sit further up in the chair so I could see Jetson, and watched his chest rise and fall a few times before letting out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. We made it. The three of us did, at least.

I struggled out of the blankets and slowly got to my feet. I hissed in pain and grabbed onto the arm of the chair to keep myself from sitting back down. My leg barely held my weight. I looked over at Jetson and the Admiral, but they both continued to sleep. Admiral Onasi must have wrapped my leg last night with a bandage he'd picked up. Though my pants were still stained red, the bandage was clean, so I hadn't bled through it.

Taking a blanket from the chair, I hobbled over to the Admiral and tried to gently lay the blanket over him without disturbing his sleep. However, his eyes flew open the second the blanket touched his skin.

"Sorry, sir." I said, chastising myself for waking him up. "You can go back to sleep, everything's fine."

The Admiral rolled his neck and got to his feet. "You should be sitting down. You're in no shape to be walking."

"I'm fine, sir. Thanks to you," I answered, but Admiral Onasi gently put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me to sit on the side of the bed and handed me the blanket I had tried to give him. "How long was I out, sir?"

"Just last night and this morning. I'd guess it's about midday now," Admiral Onasi answered, stretching. "Now that neither of you is dying on me, I was going to do some looking around. Bastila's escape pod could've crashed anywhere on Taris, so the sooner I start looking, the sooner we can find her."

"Bastila Shan?" I asked. "Was she was the Jedi in command in the Endar Spire, sir?"

Admiral Onasi nodded. "As a technician, you may not have understood her importance. She's crucial to the Republic, and if the Sith troopers get a hold of her, we may not win this war."

"Sir, are you sure that…" I bit my lip, not sure how to finish, but the Admiral looked at me with hard eyes, clearly understanding my meaning.

"She's a Jedi, I'm sure if we survived, she did as well. Whether or not she was captured by Sith troopers or was injured, I don't know." Admiral Onasi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Stay here and look after him," he looked at Jetson, "and don't leave the apartment. It's not particularly safe to be running around the city since there are Sith troopers crawling all over and you've got a blaster wound on your leg."

"Yes, sir." I answered.

Admiral Onasi left, and I turned to watch Jetson's breathing again. I didn't know much about him, other than he was the most well-travelled man I'd ever met. He was always quick to laugh and make jokes with the techs. The burn on his arm was bandaged as well, and I felt a stab of guilt that I'd been unconscious and left the Admiral to deal with both me and Jetson.

I saw a door in the corner of the room, one that must lead to a bathroom. I heaved myself to my feet and limped over to it, relieved to see I was right. I pulled the sink down from the wall and washed my face. I blinked away the water droplets and used my sleeve to dry my face. My dark hair hung in limp waves below my shoulders, and my green eyes were bloodshot. I'd definitely looked better. But then again, this was the first time I'd crashed in an escape pod after surviving a space battle.

There was a shout from the other room, and I turned too quickly trying to get back and fell. Wincing, I picked myself up and staggered back to Jetson. He was thrashing, his voice hoarse as he muttered words I didn't understand.

"Jetson," I sat down next to him. "Jetson, it's okay. You're safe." I put my hand on his forehead, but he didn't seem to be running a fever. "It's just a bad dream," I said in a low voice.

He stopped struggling and quieted. I put my face in my hands. This was far from what I'd signed up for when I took the job as a technician on the Endar Spire. I wasn't a soldier, or even a medic. I worked with spaceships and machines.

Slowly, the light from the window began to fade, and the flickering of the hanging light in the room was driving me crazy. When Admiral Onasi returned, I was sitting at the head of the bed next to Jetson, half asleep.

"I have a fresh change of clothes for all of us," Admiral Onasi put a bag on the workbench. "And some food. I figure you're just as hungry as I am."

I rubbed my eyes and stood, shuffling over to him, dragging my leg with me. "Thank you, sir," I said as he handed me a bottle of liquid supplements and protein. "How are you buying all of this, Admiral?"

"There were a few things left in the closet, so I sold them for some credits." Admiral Onasi answered, sitting down at the workbench. "There's no need to call me 'sir', anymore. Especially not when we're out and around Taris."

"Right, si-" I cut myself. "Right." I sat down next to him.

The Admiral gave a short laugh. "I'm Carth. And we're going to have to be working together to survive. I don't have my damn ship anymore, at any rate, so I'm hardly an admiral."

I opened the lid of the supplements and tried not to cringe at the acid green liquid inside. I swallowed quickly, forcing myself not to cringe at the bitter taste.

Admiral Onasi- Carth- laughed again. "You don't have to pretend it's good. I know how terrible it tastes." He pulled out a bottle for himself and opened it. "Cheers," he said, raising the bottle and we both drank, me wrinkling my nose and him coughing a bit after he swallowed.

"Did you find any signs of Bastila?" I asked, but judging from his expression, he'd had no such luck.

"No," Carth frowned. "But I heard talk that there were several escape pods that crashed in the undercity."

I nodded. "I remember someone saying after we crashed. What's the undercity?" I didn't know anything about Taris, other than its reputation for being quarantined after the Sith took over.

"Taris is divided into two levels, the uppercity and undercity," Carth explained, taking another swig from his bottle. "We're in the uppercity, though not the best part. The uppercity is for the Tarisian nobles. The wealthy live here, and it's much safer than the undercity, where the gangs kill each other in the streets."

I winced. "So, if Bastila ended up crashing in the undercity, what do you think happened to her?"

Carth sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I can only hope that she managed to get away before gang members or Sith troopers found her. At least if gang members grabbed her, they wouldn't know who she was or anything of her importance."

"We got lucky, didn't we?" I bit my lip. "The others who were in the escape pods, did you hear if the Sith captured any of them?"

Carth shook his head. "We can look for other survivors while we're searching for Bastila. We just have to find a way to get to the undercity."

"We can't just go there?" I asked him.

"No. There's a guard at the elevator. They're trying to keep the undercity separated because of all the violence, and the outbreak of some disease." Carth rubbed the bridge of his nose before he finished off the rest of his supplement drink. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to see if there's any way I can get access to the undercity."

"How long do you think until Jetson wakes up?" I looked over at the bed; Jetson was lying motionless, which was better than thrashing around having nightmares or hallucinations or whatever it was that was making him so upset.

Carth shrugged. "I'm no doctor. He could wake up tomorrow or the day after, if our lucky streak continues." He frowned.

"What is it?" I didn't understand why he'd be frowning at how well-off we'd managed.

"I'm not used to being 'lucky'. But after the disaster aboard the Endar Spire, we've had astounding good luck." Carth's frown deepened. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean? Do you feel like something bad is going to happen soon?" I knew we were fortunate, but I didn't feel like there was something lurking in the shadows, waiting for our luck to run out.

Carth looked at me and tried to give me a reassuring smile, but failed miserably. "I'm just not used to things working out. It's better to be ready for anything. Why don't you go clean yourself up and change clothes?"

"Okay," I answered, finishing off the bottle of supplements. Now, I was torn between feeling like Carth was paranoid and feeling that there was something incredibly _off_.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

When I woke up the next morning, I was curled up in the chair again, though I knew I fell asleep on the floor next to the bed. Carth was already up, sitting at the workbench, hunched over his blaster.

He looked over at me as I removed the blankets. "How are you feeling?" He asked me.

I leaned forward in the chair and stood carefully. There was a dull pain in my leg, but it wasn't any worse than when I'd gotten a stress fracture years ago. "Much better, "I told him honestly. I glanced over at Jetson. "Did Jetson not wake up at all last night?"

"No. He thrashed around like hell, though." Carth finished whatever he was doing with his blaster and put it in his holster.

I moved stiffly to check on Jetson— the clothes Carth had bought were a little too big, but they were a welcome change to the bloody pants and sweat streaked technician uniform I'd been wearing before. I rolled the sleeves of the shirt up as I peered at Jetson. His face had more color to it. His eyelids fluttered. "Jetson?" I asked quietly.

He jerked up to a sitting position, almost head butting me. I gasped in surprise and straightened. Jetson was breathing hard, his eyes over-bright. He sat still for a few moments, his gaze moving from me to Carth.

"Good to see you up instead of thrashing around in your sleep," Carth said a little dryly, but his voice was genuine.

"What happened?" Jetson questioned us hoarsely. "Where am I?"

Carth stood up, crossing his arms, and leaned against the workbench. "We crashed. We took the last escape pod from the Endar Spire. Do you remember who I am?"

"Admiral Carth Onasi," Jetson answered slowly. He looked at me. "Hakota— one of the techs. I remember now. Where are we?"

"I found an empty apartment here in the uppercity. I've scouted the planet a bit while you were out. Our goal right now is to find Bastila and make sure she's safe." Carth told Jetson. "I know you're a scout and not a soldier, but we have a duty to the Republic."

Jetson's expression didn't change, and he asked, "The uppercity… what planet are we on?"

Carth frowned. "You really smacked your head, didn't you? We're on Taris. The Sith are currently occupying the planet. There's a quarantine on it as well, so there's not much of a chance of us getting out of here any time soon."

Jetson looked at us and flashed a grin. "I owe you both my life. Thanks." He rolled his shoulders back and stood up from the side of the bed. He swayed and I instinctively reached out to steady him. "I'm fine," he told me, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "I guess we should start scouting the planet for Bastila. Do you have any leads, Admiral?" He addressed Carth.

Carth nodded. "The undercity. And it's just Carth here." He said, reminding Jetson of the same thing he'd told me. Carth tossed Jetson the bag that had clothes inside. "Change first, then eat something and we'll head out."

Jetson nodded. "Thanks." He turned and saw the door to the bathroom and went inside.

Carth turned to me and said, "An admiral, a scout and a technician. At least between the three of us we'll be able to survive. I saw Jetson's records when we were still aboard the Endar Spire. He can speak more alien languages than I could ever hope to. Not that Taris has a huge alien population, but it might help get us friends from different places."

"Once we find Bastila, we'll be an even odder group," I told him, and he gave a little smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He yawned, and I gave him a concerned look. "You've been doing all the work and haven't been sleeping at all. You can let Jetson and I scout around today to see if we have any leads on how to get to the undercity."

Carth looked at me calculatingly. "I don't think so," he said evenly, but there was an undercurrent tone in his voice that made me feel like he was suspecting me of something.

I didn't say anything else until Jetson came out of the bathroom, changed and dark hair wet. "Where to first?" He asked.

"You're eating before we leave," Carth said, and tossed the bottle of supplements to Jetson like he'd tossed the clothes earlier.

Jetson sat down on the bed next to me and opened the bottle. He looked at me suspiciously. "Imagine the texture of slime with the taste of dust," I whispered to Jetson, who made a face and then chugged the supplement down.

"Perfect description," Jetson told me once he finished, his eyes watering. We laughed, and Carth looked at us sharply from across the room. "Ready to go," Jetson said, standing up.

"If either of you start feeling like you're going to pass out-"

"We'll be fine," I assured Carth, and Jetson winked at me.

Carth grumbled unintelligibly under his breath as he put his blaster in his holster. "There was a vibrosword in the closet that I didn't sell," he told us, "Do either of you want to carry it?"

"I will," Jetson said, looking at me from the corner of his eye. It was probably easy to see on my face that I had no desire to take it.

Carth picked the sword, still in its sheath, and handed it to Jetson, who strapped it on around his waist. "Where do we start?" I asked them.

Jetson looked at Carth, who answered, "I was thinking we could try the cantina today. If we could listen in on some conversations and ask around, we might be able to find someone with connections who could get us past the guard at the elevator to the undercity."

"There's just one guard separating us from the undercity?" Jetson asked incredulously. "Why don't we just knock him out or sneak past him or something?"

Carth seemed to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "There are cameras watching the elevators. I don't know about you, but I'd like to avoid being arrested by the Sith and interrogated."

Jetson shrugged. "Right, right. Just making a suggestion." He took the bag that previously held the change of clothes and food and looped it over his shoulder.

"Let's move out." Carth said, and opened the apartment door. I had just sealed the doors behind us when we came face to face with a Sith patrol.

The patrol was facing two aliens, one who was saying something I couldn't understand very well. The human leading the patrol, a man in a Sith uniform, pulled out his gun and shot the alien that had just spoke down where he stood.

My jaw dropped as the Sith patrol leader turned on us. "Humans? In an alien housing unit?"

Jetson's hand moved to the hilt of his vibroblade. "Get behind me," he muttered.

"They're republic fugitives! Attack!" The patrol leader fired a shot at Carth, who dodged easily.

Jetson stepped in front of me while yanking his sword free, then swiped cleanly through the droid closest to us. Carth took out two of the droids closest to him before turning on the patrol leader, who Jetson had just impaled with his sword. The remaining droid aimed at Jetson, but Carth shot the droid with a blast that sent it crumpling to the ground.

The other alien had been attempting to fight alongside Jetson and Carth, and now looked at them gratefully. He said something to them, and I could make out a 'thank you'.

"Not a problem," Jetson answered. He stooped down to look through the patrol leader's belongings and pulled out a medpac, putting it in the bag he had slung over his shoulder. "Do patrols come here often?"

The alien answered him and Jetson nodded. The alien grabbed the shoulders of the dead patrol officer and began dragging the body down the hall.

"I hate this planet already," Jetson told me. He sheathed his vibrosword and looked at Carth, who was putting away his blaster. "Maybe we won't get shot at in the cantina."

Carth shook his head darkly and stepped over the fizzling droids, and we followed him out of the halls of the housing complex.

I blinked in the sunlight, and my cheeks flushed at the crispness of the air. I kept pace with Carth and Jetson as they moved through the streets of Taris, the buildings all the same shade of gray— probably made of the same metal. There were skylines in the distance, reaching like fingers into the clear sky.

"Taking time to be a tourist?" Jetson teased me, noticing how my eyes wandered and I barely focused on the street in front of me.

I grinned at him. "It's my first time actually being on another planet besides Alderaan. I mean, I've been on space stations and space ships, obviously, but never another planet. As a tech, I pretty much spend all my time in space ports or in a shop working with machines."

Carth overheard me. "Taris may look pretty on the outside, but it's got a history of corruption. And once we make it to the undercity," he said quietly, "you won't think much of this planet."

The smile slipped off my face, and Jetson scowled at Carth once Carth fell in step in front of us. Jetson told me, "The skyline is pretty great. Don't let the old man ruin your gawking, tech girl."

"I wasn't _gawking_." I protested, but he was right. "Jetson, how many planets have you been to?"

His dark eyebrows pulled together as he tried to remember. "Well… I don't know. I've lost count."

I sighed enviously. "Too many planets to recall. And you speak countless alien languages, too, don't you?"

"Hardly countless," Jetson grinned at me. "You probably spent too much time with your machines to learn anything other than their incessant beeping and whirring. If I ever had a droid, they'd be able to speak basic. Nothing drives me crazier than a droid who won't shut up with all its beeping."

I shook my head. "I like it. It gives the droids their own little personality, you know?"

Jetson looked at me like I had told him I loved the supplement drinks. "You're a strange little tech, you know that?"

"We're here," Carth told us, pointing at the doors to the cantina. They looked almost exactly like the doors to the housing unit. The architecture here was uncreative at best. "Don't say anything to get us find out, understand? Let's try to stay together."

I nodded earnestly, but Jetson seemed unconcerned. The three of us moved past the bouncer, who was a Sith guard.

The cantina was noisy and crowded, and smelled like expensive alcohol. In the front room, clusters of well dressed men crowded around a card game. "Pazaak, tech girl," Jetson told me, noticing my curiosity. "I'll teach you to play at some point."

We got into the main room of the cantina, where people sat around the bar in the center. I heard cheers coming from the room across from me, but music to my right. Carth and Jetson moved toward the cheers, and I told them, "I'll check it out in here."

Carth looked like he was about to tell me I couldn't, but Jetson nodded and kept walking. Carth followed him with a glance back at me.

I squeezed my way past the Tarisian nobles to see a band playing. They were aliens, Bith, I think, playing music that sounded like something my parents would like.

"Hello there, friend," a smooth voice came from behind me. "Are you enjoying the band? They're quite good, aren't they?"

I turned to face a man with a wide smile— one that made me feel a little uncomfortable. I may have grown up spending a lot of time with droids, but that was because I understood people all too well. This man was up to no good. "Yes. I like them a lot," I answered, and tried to turn around again.

The man put his hand on my shoulder. "My name's Jorgan, little lady. And I can have you meet the band for a mere few credits."

"No, thanks." I said, shrugging his hand away.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "You'd be missing an excellent opportunity to meet the soon-to-be famous musicians."

I forced myself to smile at him, knowing this was a con. "I'm sure, thank you for the offer, though."

Jorgan gave me an annoyed look before pushing his way closer to the center of the room. I shook my head as he disappeared. I turned to go catch up with Jetson and Carth and ran straight into someone. He was just at the height where my forehead slammed into the side of his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

I cringed. "I'm sorry," I mumbled quickly.

"Sorry," he told me almost at the exact same time. He was rubbing his cheekbone and I was rubbing my head. We both apologized again and he grinned. "It's a little crowded in here, huh?"

I nodded. "There's someone running a scam here darting around too, just as a fair warning."

The man looked to be only a few years older than me. "Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I won't stay to watch the band," he said. "Should we try to make our way through the sea of people together? Maybe with two of us we won't get shoved around too much."

"You're taller," I answered with a smile. "I might just follow behind you so I don't injure anyone else."

He smiled back at me and we squeezed our way back to the main room. "We survived," he joked. "I've never seen this place so full before. I guess the quarantine helps the cantina with business."

"Maybe it was the cantina owners who made a deal with the Sith in the first place," I told him conspiratorially. He gave me a funny look, and I said quickly, "I was kidding."

He laughed. "I know. I just thought… are you a traveler? No offense, but, you don't look much like a local."

"What, with my oversized shirt you don't think I can pull of the Tarisian noble air?" I teased. "No, I'm just stuck here until the quarantine ends." I hoped he wouldn't ask about where I was from—lying was something that didn't come easy to me.

"That's what I thought. I'm a little surprised you're talking to me, then." He said, frowning slightly. Someone brushed past us and jostled me a little closer to him. I looked at him curiously and he told me, "I'm a Sith officer."

I froze for a split second before relaxing again. "You're not wearing your uniform, I couldn't tell. And all I know about you is that you got us out of that crowded room in one piece. I'm Hakota."

"Yun," he said happily. I liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. "I have to go, my shift starts soon. I'd really like to see you again."

I felt odd. Maybe I shouldn't be talking to a Sith officer, or saying the words that came out of my mouth next, "I'd like that, too." _What am I doing? He's with the Sith. I'm an idiot. I'm here to get information on Bastila, not to cozy up to Sith officers. _

"A couple of my friends and I are having a party tonight, if you want to come. We'll come straight from the base, so it won't be too late. Here," he pulled out a little pad with a scrawling map screen. He tapped a location on it. "You can use this as a map if you want to come. I really hope I'll see you there, Hakota." He smiled at me, placed the pad in my hands and left.

_Really, Hakota? _I berated myself. But as I watched him slip through the crowd toward the exit of the cantina, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to get information on the escape pods. An entire room full of Sith officers was dangerous, yes, but they would all have information on the escape pods, or how to get to the undercity. It wouldn't hurt to have a connection within the Sith.

I made my way to the room Carth and Jetson had disappeared into, wanting to tell them about my idea. I was jostled around a bit until I found Carth, watching a view screen. "Where's Jetson?" I asked him, and he pointed to the screen.

Jetson was grinning at me from the screen, his dark hair falling into his eyes. A voice from the view screen's speakers announced, "The Mysterious Stranger has won! Deadeye Duncan is down, ladies and gentleman. No worries, we'll have him revived in a few minutes here."

Over the announcer's voice, I asked Carth, "What did he do?"

"He arranged for a fight to earn us a few credits," Carth answered. "The hutt here in the upper cantina runs these no kill fights in the arena for entertainment purposes. Jetson thought he'd give it a try so we could buy some equipment."

I looked back at the view screen, but Jetson was gone and it was showing the other fighter surrounded by a team of medics. I watched with Carth for a few minutes as the crowd dissipated around us. Finally, the other fighter was back on his feet, limping out of the arena. "It looks dangerous," I said.

"Nothing I can't handle," Jetson's voice was behind me. "And we can go buy some armor now, at least."

"I didn't get any information on the escape pods, or the undercity guards," Carth answered. "We should hang around here a little longer."

"Actually, I have something that might help," I told them as we made our way out of the viewing room. "I was invited to a Sith officer's party, so I was thinking I-"

"You _what_?" Carth pulled my arm to stop me, his eyes wide. "Were you talking to a Sith officer?" He led me over to the side of the room away from listening ears and sat down at a table. Jetson strolled over nonchalantly and took a seat next to me.

I looked from Carth's concerned expression to Jetson's calm face. "I… yes. It sort of just happened. He wasn't in his uniform, so I didn't know he was Sith until we'd already started talking."

"Did he ask you any questions? What did you tell him?" Carth demanded, clearly struggling to keep his voice level. He'd been calm during the escape from the crash, calm when he'd had a scout and a technician nearly dying on him, but not when I had a conversation with a Sith officer.

"He didn't ask anything—just if I was a local or a traveler stuck here until the quarantine ends. I swear, that was it." I explained quickly, almost feeling like Carth was suspecting me of telling the Sith officer something intentionally.

Jetson leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. "Don't be so paranoid, Carth. This could be a good thing. If techie here is going to a party with a Sith officer, it means she can find a way to ask about access to the undercity and the escape pods. You know, like 'I wanted to go check out the undercity while I was stuck here. Can't I go past the guard'?"

Carth glared at Jetson. "That's hardly a plausible way to ask-"

"I can at least go and try to ask around." I interrupted quickly, worrying that the two of them would start butting heads. "I'll be careful, Carth, I promise."

Sighing, the Admiral rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. "I don't want you going around with a Sith officer by yourself."

"He doesn't suspect me. And I won't say anything stupid to make him think I'm not just an average traveler stuck here until the quarantine ends." I told him, but Carth was looking at me with hard eyes.

Jetson read Carth's facial expression carefully. "You don't trust either of us, do you?"

Carth didn't answer, and I said quietly, "I won't do anything stupid, I promise."

"That's not what I meant, techie." Jetson leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Carth, you're keeping a close eye on us not because you're worried that we'll get ourselves in trouble, but because you suspect us of something."

"Jetson, that's ridiculous," I muttered under my breath, but Carth was staring at Jetson unblinkingly.

"Let me ask you something," Carth said slowly. "I've been going over the attack in my head since we crashed, and some things just don't add up. I wanted to know what happened from your perspective."

I looked at Jetson, and when he didn't answer, I told Carth, "I wasn't really in the position to know what was going on. I was on my way back from fixing a terminal when we took the first hit."

Carth nodded. "The Sith slammed us pretty hard. Hell, the battle was forced on us. We lost a lot of good people. I'm surprised that we're alive to talk about it today. Come to think of it, isn't it a little surprising that you're here?" He asked Jetson, voice cold. "Just what exactly was your position in the fleet?"

Jetson's voice was careless, but his gray eyes were narrowed dangerously. "I'm a scout. I was recruited for my skills with alien languages and my history of exploration."

"Right. But doesn't it seem odd to you that you were a last minute addition to the fleet, and here you are, one of the only survivors?" Carth leaned forward into the table, his eyes fixed on Jetson's face.

"I was a last minute addition?" Jetson's eyebrows pulled together. "Why does that make me odd?"

Carth relaxed back in his chair, but the movement did little to ease the tension that I could almost feel crackling in the air. "You were the only one. Bastila and the Jedi came aboard, making demands left and right. But you were the only person that they recruited."

Jetson's expression turned serious, and I don't remember ever seeing his face that dark before. "How am I supposed to know what the Jedi do, Carth? What, exactly, are you so suspicious of?"

"Nothing." Carth answered shortly. "Maybe something. I don't know. But I'm not going to get caught by surprise this time."

"We should be trying to work together," I told them softly. I didn't miss that Carth had specified 'this time', but I wasn't sure if he meant that the attack on the Endar Spire caught him by surprise, or something else did. The way he said it made it feel like there was something darker and more personal to it.

Jetson looked at me, his countenance already cleared of his intense expression and instead gave me a loose grin. "Right. He can go ahead and be paranoid."

"I'm not being paranoid," Carth snapped, losing his patience entirely. He looked at me icily. "If you want to go around with Sith officers because you think it'll help, fine. But just know that I'm not going to wait around to be betrayed again. Let's go pick up some equipment." Carth stood and stalked out of the cantina.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

The doors that separated me from an entire room of Sith officers slid open with a hiss, and I did my best to wear a Jetson-like lazy smile.

"Hakota!" Yun grinned at me from where he was sitting with a few other officers, playing the same card game I'd seen at the cantina—pazaak, Jetson had told me.

I waved at him and stepped inside. There were ten or so people there, and the woman who'd opened the door for me had a glass in her hand. She looked at me with sharp blue eyes and an unfriendly expression. "Do you want something to drink?" She asked me.

"Oh, no thank you." I answered. Yun beckoned me over to where he was sitting, an empty chair next to him. The other three officers at the table looked at me curiously.

"This is Hakota," he introduced me to the other officers. "Hakota, this is Oriana, Tarin and Cass." They nodded to me, but seemed to be more focused on the game that was happening between Cass and Tarin. The two men were quickly flipping over cards, a pile of credits on the table.

"How do you play?" I asked Yun, who looked surprised as soon as the question left my mouth.

"You've never played pazaak before?" His voice was incredulous. I shook my head. "We have to fix this. Here, I've got a deck. You're learning how to play pazaak tonight."

It turned out I was terrible at pazaak. Yun insisted that it wasn't me, but just that I kept getting really unlucky cards, but I had a feeling he was trying to be nice. About four games in, I noticed that everyone around me was starting to get a little tipsy.

Just as I was trying to formulate a way to ask about the escape pods, or the undercity, Oriana asked me, "Where're you from, again?"

I looked up from the pazaak deck and noticed that Yun and the others were staring at me. "Alderaan." I told her.

"You're far from home," Cass said, but he didn't say it suspiciously. He sounded a little sad. "How'd you get stuck here?"

I had already thought of a lie I could use, claiming I was a tech for a small transport freighter making a delivery to Taris. However, I knew that every time I lied, my face flushed and everyone would catch that something was wrong. So instead, I told them the obvious, "The Sith-placed quarantine, what else? You should really try to convince your superiors to let ships out so everyone trapped here can get back home."

Tarin laughed, but Yun looked at me guiltily. "Trust me; if it was up to us," he gestured around the room at his friends, "we'd have the quarantine removed."

"I'd love to get off this bloody planet too," Oriana said dryly. "I've already requested for my post to be changed twice. Our commanders know that if they lose us, they're not going to get replacements. Nobody wants to be stationed on Taris."

I saw my chance and took it. "I guess it's not so bad, though. I mean, you guys get more than just a boring post since the escape pods crashed here." I tried not to let my body tense as I spoke—Yun was so close to me he would be able to sense it.

Cass gave a dramatic eye-roll. "Yeah, the escape pods that didn't matter at all. The commanders had us running around the undercity for the last few days trying to find republic troops, and we haven't found anyone. We've been attacked by gang members, assaulted by rakghouls-"

"The rakghouls are the worst!" Tarin interrupted. "My squad almost lost Sadie the other day to them. They came out of nowhere."

"What are rakghouls?" I asked Yun quietly.

His face was serious. "Mutants living in the undercity. They spread their disease when they attack other people. If you get infected, you turn into one of them. Their kind doesn't think. They just… kill." His normally tanned face went a little pale. "I lost a squad mate to them two days ago during a search for the escape pods."

"I'm sorry," I reached out without thinking and squeezed his hand. _Damn it, Hakota. You're not here for any of these people, you're here to find a way into the undercity. _It was hard when they all seemed like people I would've been friends with back at home. Except that they were Sith. And Sith were supposed to be the enemies. "Is that why there's a guard at the undercity elevator?" I asked him, letting go of his hand as nonchalantly as I could manage.

Yun nodded. The others had gone back to their pazaak game. "It's too dangerous for anyone to go down there."

"What about the people living in the undercity?" I asked him, shuffling the pazaak cards while I spoke. "Do you have patrols down there to protect them?"

Yun laughed darkly. "It's mostly gang members who'd sooner attack us than let us 'protect them'. The patrols just go down in an attempt to keep order. Mostly we keep out of the way."

A brunette officer pushed a glass into Yun's hands, and when he tried to reject it, she said, "We're not on duty tomorrow, Yun. Live it up a little."

Yun looked at me and I shrugged. I had yet to drink anything, but nobody had noticed because they were all too busy drinking themselves into oblivion.

Soon enough, they were all passed out on the floor, and the entire room smelt like whatever they'd been drinking. My eyes watered, and I looked at Yun, who was face planted at the table.

I carefully got up without disturbing Yun or the others. There were a few bags against the wall in the back of the room. I looked around slowly, but no one moved. I crouched down next to the bags and began to look through them. There were uniforms and guns, spare changes of clothes.

If I took a uniform, someone would be able to sneak past the guard at the elevator. But I didn't know whether or not the officers would wake up with a terrible hangover and realize that I'd stolen their uniforms.

On the other hand, I didn't really see that I had a choice. If Bastila was really so pivotal to the Republic, I could steal a damn uniform in order to help find her. Cass snored loudly from the table and startled me- I dropped the uniform I was holding. _You're a terrible thief. _I thought to myself.

If I took just the uniform, they'd know I'd stolen it. But If I took an entire bag, maybe they'd think they'd forgotten it at the base or misplaced it. I dug around until I found a bag that had two uniforms, one which smelled terrible, and slung the bag over my shoulder. With one last look around at the Sith officers, I felt a pang of guilt as I stepped past Yun and left the apartment.

The city lights were bright against the dark sky, the buildings casting shadows across the street. Several drunk men stumbled behind me and I quickened my pace.

"Hey, what're you doing out here?" One of them shouted. "Look at the way she's dressed," he complained loudly to his friend. "They're letting trash from the slums walk around on our streets."

I didn't turn around to give them a reaction, and it was easy to lose them when I slipped down a different street. When I reached the apartment, Carth and Jetson were both still up, sitting on opposite sides of the room, not speaking. They were probably still annoyed with each other about the conversation we'd had at the cantina.

Carth stood up when I walked inside, and Jetson looked up at me expectantly. "Well?" Carth asked me.

I slung the bag from my shoulder to hold it up triumphantly. "Two Sith uniforms to get us into the undercity."

"Good work," Carth told me, taking the bag and looking inside.

Jetson winked at me from where he was sitting on the bed. "Brilliant, techie. Who knew you could work with machines and people?"

I unsuccessfully hid a grin as I answered, "Just because I like droids better than people doesn't mean that people don't like me, thank you very much."

Carth threw a uniform to Jetson, which Jetson caught with one hand without even turning his head. "When do we leave?" Jetson asked.

"Now," Carth told him. "We can't waste any time finding Bastila. We were ordered to do a sweep at night to see if we could find any republic fugitives in the undercity. Got it?"

"Perfect," Jetson answered. He looked at me with a grin. "Thanks to you, our resident grumpy admiral is in a slightly better mood."

Carth looked over at us. "Hakota, you'll stay here."

I blinked at him. "What? I thought…" I watched them put their uniforms on with a frown. I wasn't a fighter, but that didn't mean that I was useless.

"We only have two uniforms," Carth told me almost gently. "We'll check in with you as soon as we have a lead."

I reminded myself he was an admiral and I was just a technician to stop myself from protesting. "What can I do here to help you?"

"If we do find Bastila, we're going to need to find a way off this planet. I'm sure there are plenty of other people looking for a way around the quarantine, so it won't be too suspicious if you ask around if there are any loopholes in the quarantine or ways to get off world." Carth told me. "Just be careful."

_Be careful, be careful. _I had been careful and gotten us a way into the undercity only to be left behind without a second thought. "I will," I answered, but I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice with those two words. Back on Alderaan, I'd gotten used to spending my time with droids because my three older brothers were always off together, leaving me behind. This was something I was used to.

Carth either didn't notice or ignored me, but Jetson ruffled my hair, in full Sith armor except for the helmet. "Don't be mad, techie. Maybe by the time we get back you'll have a way for us to get off planet."

"Right," I sighed gustily. "You be careful, too."

Jetson flashed me a final grin before putting on his helmet. He and Carth left the apartment and I flopped down on the bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

Golden pink light poured through the lone window in the apartment room when I opened my eyes. I sat up slowly, stretching out from the little ball I had curled myself into as I slept. Carth and Jetson weren't back. Yawning, I moved to the window. It seemed like it was still fairly early.

I thought for a few moments about going back to sleep, but decided if Carth and Jetson were going to leave me behind, I might as well be as productive as possible with my time. I took a quick shower before leaving the apartment, my hair still wet and sticking to the side of my face. I sealed the doors behind me, deciding I could just slice the doors open again when I needed back in since I didn't have the code to lock the doors and didn't want anyone wandering in.

There was a little clinic across from the apartments, but I wouldn't know how to ask a doctor or a healer about ways to get off Taris, and I doubt he or she would even have an answer. I wandered, scanning the streets. My clothes made me stick out—the nobles particularly gave me disapproving looks as they passed by.

A droid shop caught my eye, and without thinking about it, I entered. There was only a twi'lek inside, and she was fiddling with one of the droids. The twi'lek language of Ryl was one of the few alien languages I could actually understand, so I smiled at her and walked forward.

The class two droid looked like an incredibly old utility droid, and it was talking to the twi'lek in slow, sad beeps. The twi'lek looked at me as I drew closer. "_A customer!" _she said in Ryl. "_My name is Janice. Welcome to my shop! How can I help you?"_

"I'm just looking," I answered with a smile. I pointed to the utility droid. "What model is he? A T3… T3-H8?"

Janice nodded. "_It's not for sale_," she told me, "_It's been giving me some problems. It keeps breaking down. I have other droids for you to look at, though. Would you like me to show you different models?"_

"Oh, no thanks. I might be able to help you with the little guy. I worked with droids a lot on my home planet." I moved closer to her, and she watched me almost warily. "Have you found any specific systems giving you trouble yet?"

"_I think it could be the sensory system matrix," _Janice said.

I frowned, and sat down next to the little droid with my legs crossed. "If it's that, then you might be getting some problems in the memory functions matrix as well. Have you tried recalibrating that first?"

Janice blinked. "_I hadn't tried that yet. Here, I'll get some tools." _She froze before she turned away. "_I don't know if I can accept your help," _she said slowly. "_I can't pay you."_

"I don't need anything," I told her with a shrug. "I just like working with droids. I'm Hakota, by the way."

She looked at me curiously before she disappeared into the back of her shop. To T3-H8, I said, "We'll fix you up, little guy."

The droid beeped a thank you in response. Janice returned with a tool box and the two of us worked on the T3 model for almost an hour before we had finished. "There you go," I told her. "Good as new."

"_I… thank you." _Janice seemed more relaxed now. "_If I could afford to hire help in the shop, you would be the first person on my list."_

I laughed. "My old boss on my home planet would've loved to have you work on droids in his shop." I decided to take my chance now. "Not that I'll be able to get home any time soon. Janice, do you know of any way to get off of Taris?"

The twi'lek shook her head. The two of us were still sitting on the floor next to T3-H8, who was happily whirling with his new repairs. "_The Sith are the only ones who have launch codes. It makes businesses suffer, too_." She gestured around her. "_No customers today_. _That's common enough as an alien in the upper city. But I can't send my droids off-planet, or get people from starships passing by to come in and ask for repairs."_

Glumly, I asked, "There's no one on this entire planet who's allowed to get out of here? Just the Sith?"

Janice sighed. "_The only person, other than the Sith, who has power on Taris is Davik Kang. And even he doesn't have the launch codes."_

"David Kang? Who's that?" It sounded like unless Carth and Jetson could sweet talk the Sith, Davik Kang was the next best option.

"_You don't want to get mixed up with him." _Janice answered quickly. _"He's the crime lord on Taris. He runs the Exchange. Murder. Extortion. Don't get involved or-"_

"Don't get involved with the Exchange?" A rough voice came from the back of the shop, and Janice jumped to her feet quickly.

I stood more slowly, turning to face a burly man with a scarred face. He had a small squad of armed men with him, and I could tell from Janice's expression they weren't good news. Each man had a gun strapped to him, and all looked ready to shoot at a moment's notice, except for the man who had spoken.

"_Canderous,"_ Janice's eyes darted nervously around her shop. "_I didn't know you were coming by. How can I help you?"_

"Well, I don't know. Still don't want to get involved with the Exchange?" A man from behind Canderous jeered snidely.

Janice took a step backward, but I don't think she was even aware of it. "_No, no. I'm always at your service. What can I do for you today?"_

The same man who spoke before looked at Janice with a confrontational smirk. "Well, twi'lek, why don't you-"

"Shut up," Canderous ordered in the same, gruff tone. "Davik needs a T3-M4. Before the week ends."

Janice nodded vigorously. "_Of course."_

"You'll get your pay when I come back to collect," Canderous growled. "And it better be here on time."

The men left just as quickly as they'd come, and I felt the air become lighter after they were gone. I looked at Janice, who seemed to deflate, looking smaller than she had before. "They're with the Exchange?" I surmised. "And they just walk around making demands with their big guns?"

Janice looked at me, her face exhausted. _"Those guns aren't just for show. They wouldn't hesitate to shoot me down if I don't have that droid on time."_

I felt goosebumps creep up my arms. "Can you get the T3-M4 on time?" I asked her, realizing this job could be less of a money-making thing and more of a 'stay alive' move.

_"If I order now, and then immediately calibrate the systems… Barely." _She sighed. _"I'll go place an order. Thank you for your help today, _Hakota_. I would wish for you to come back by my shop, but with the Exchange watching my progress, I don't think it would be the safest for you to return."_

"Will you be alright?" I didn't know how trigger-happy the Exchange was, and Janice was alone in her shop.

_"They're not going to kill me. They might check in on my progress and make a few threats, but they need this droid for whatever reason." _She gave me a small smile, but her eyes remained tired.

"You can come to find me if you need anything. I live in the apartments in the Uppercity South for the time being." I said goodbye to T3-H8 before heading back out into the city.

The Exchange was obviously dangerous, but if Davik Kang was the second most powerful person on Taris, second only to the Sith, then our ticket off-planet was Davik Kang. Like it or not, we were going to have to deal with the Exchange. _Great. I guess I'll be finding a way to get on the good side of a crime lord._


End file.
